Brussels: Which Sherator or Le Meridien

Coming down by train form the Hague next week, staying just overnight in Brussels, then catching an 11 a.m. flight out the next morning. From other FT threads, both these hotels seem fine. So my questions:

1. Which is more convenient for the train down from the Hague? It seems like for Le Meridien, I would get off at the Midi Station and that for the Sheraton I'd need to switch trains at Midi and continue to Nord Station. Do I have that right?
2. Both are walking distance from their respective stations, right?
3. Which is more convenient for the airport, in terms of either public transport or a taxi? And about how much would a taxi be for either?

Given my short stay, I might have simply gone to the Sheraton Airport, but it's beyond my budget for this trip.

Thanks for any info.

Le Meridien is at Central Station (right across the street). Sheraton is at Nord (about a block away). They are equally convenient for the airport. It is the same train - from Central, you need to add a couple of minutes to the ride. I can't quote you a taxi fare, but if the Sheraton @ BRU is out of your budget, a taxi in Brussels will cause you to miss your next mortgage payment, and won't save you much time over the train. The fare from the Sheraton should be less because you are on more "normal" roads by that point.

Stay downtown, either the Sheraton or le Meridien are good for airport and both require a pain in the keester transfer to the tram/subway to the station that corresponds to their location. Le Meridien is in a better location, IMHO for eating and a quick chocolate shop.

The Meridien is literally right across the street from Gare Centrale.

I have stayed in both, and much prefer Le Meridien. It is newer, more luxurious, and with much nicer, more helpful personnel (my experience.) My room at LM was a spacious palace, with a huge marble bathroom. My room at the Sheraton was somewhat dated, and more Holiday Inn-esque.

LM is literally right across the street from the Central Station, whereas the Sheraton is a 5 to 8 minute walk, through some winding streets. (The first time I was headed to the Sheraton, I got in a cab at the train station, but the cabbie refused to take me there. He simply said it was too close for a cab ride, and gave me walking directions. Kudos for his honesty, or perhaps just for his reluctance to give up his place in the cab line for such a short fare.)

But not the gare midi. The gare midi is still a tram ride from the gare centrale and not an easy one to navigate if you have never done it.

Yeah, but the regular IC train from the Hague calls first at Nord / Noord, then at Central / Centraal and finally at Midi / Zuid station - it usually takes 2:10 hrs to get from Den Haag to Central / Centraal. Only the THALYS goes straigt to Midi / Zuid (and then non-stop to Paris), and takes 1:59 hours from Den Haag. So it's a no brainer really if you're not staying next to Midi / Zuid station in Bruxelles (and who would?!). Save some cash, take the IC train, book Le Meridien, get off at Central / Centraal station.

FWIW, there's a Metro station right below the Sheraton Brussels ("Rogier"). One station from Nord/Noord station on the "premetro" line. No need to walk (I find the areas around both main train stations in Brussels are extremely seedy).

Tom

Thanks for clearing that up. I usually come from Paris, so its straight to the seedy midi for me.

Thanks to all. Still sorting out my plans, now nicely complicated by the fact that the Sheraton Airport Hotel is now offering a lower rate than the other two and that I'll be coming down from the Hague later than I thought (making the airport hotel that much more appealing, since I won't have much time to enjoy town). But I appreciate all the useful feedback, which will come in handy next time I'm in Brussels even if it turns out not this time.

Speaking of which--do any trains from the Hague go straigt to the airport station? I assume I'll have to switch trains if I end up staying there.

When you arrive at Central, before you cross the street to the Meridien, buy a cheap ticket for the local train for the next morning (1 euro and change if I remember correctly), that makes life easy the next morning when you catch the short ride to Zaventem.

No, not from the Hague. Easiest is to change at Nord/Noord, gives you a nice 10 mins connection ^. Buy a through ticket from the Hague.

Tom

Definately stay at the Airport Hotel, then. You really can't beat the convenience come the morning of your flight.

I overnight in BRU every once in a while. My preferred option is to stay at the Airport hotel and take the train to town. It really is easy.

We too looked at LeMed vs Sheraton to use points for a 3 night stay in May. We chose Le M and just got under the wire for points change this past weekend. I have been trying to read the directions on this post but am still unclear. We are arriving from Amsterdam to Midi station.... but I think we need then to change trains and go to Central station?? How is this done? When we leave we need to return to Midi and take train to Paris. Thanks for your help!

PS... called Sheraton number to make points reservation and needed to combine my husband's and my points to make it work for the upgrade to King deluxe. What a pleasure to deal with the woman who assisted me... she was incredibly helpful!! I could not get over the accommodations she made. I have never been treated this way when redeeming airline points.. that's for sure!!! Way to go Sheraton!! First class!!^

In Brussels the main stations are, from North to South :

Brussels Nord
Brussels Central
Brussels Midi (also known as Brussels Zuid)

All domestic trains stop at all three stations on their journey through Brussels.

The exception to this are the international trains (Eurostar to London, Thalys to Paris and Amsterdam, and most trains to Germany) which use Midi ONLY.

If you travel to Brussels on one of the hourly local trains from Amsterdam, it will call at Central where you alight for le Meridien.

If you are travelling in from Amsterdam on the Thalys, you will need to take a local train back 1 stop to Central from Midi.

Leaving Le Meridien, join any local train at Central and travel 1 stop to Midi for your Thalys train to Paris.

Personall, I would avoid cabs at peak times of the day - Brussels is congestion city. I've done the run to the airport (admittedly from Le M) in 25min & 30Eur. Other times it's well over an hour. I don't know what time Brussels rush hour starts so 630 could be sticky.

The train however which goes from Midi I think is about 25min always :-) and I think about 7Eur. Or, the safest but dullest bet is stay at the Sheraton at the airport.